1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cartridge detachably mountable in an electrophotographic image-forming apparatus, in particular a process cartridge. The electrophotographic image-forming apparatus is an apparatus that forms an image on a recording medium using an electrophotographic image-forming system. Examples of the electrophotographic image-forming apparatus include an electrophotographic copying machine, an electrophotographic printer (e.g., a laser beam printer and an LED printer), a facsimile machine, and a word processor. The process cartridge is a cartridge detachably mountable in a main body of the image-forming apparatus, into which charging means, developing means, cleaning means, and so on, serving as means of an electrophotographic image-forming process (hereinafter, referred to as a “process means”) are integrated with an electrophotographic photosensitive drum.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, in a conventional electrophotographic image-forming apparatus using an electrophotographic image-forming process, a “process cartridge system” is used in which an electrophotographic photosensitive drum (hereinafter, referred to as a photosensitive drum) and process means acting on the photosensitive drum are integrated into a process cartridge that is detachably mountable in the main body of the electrophotographic image-forming apparatus. Examples of the process cartridge include those integrating therein a photosensitive drum and at least one of charging means, developing means, and cleaning means, particularly at least developing means.
According to the process cartridge system, the maintenance of the apparatus can be carried out by the user himself/herself without an aid of a serviceman, thereby being capable of remarkably improving operability thereof. Therefore, the process cartridge system has widely been used in the electrophotographic image-forming apparatuses.
An example of general process cartridges will be described with reference to FIGS. 23 and 24. A process cartridge shown in FIG. 23 is composed of three frame members: a cleaning frame member 113 integrally supporting a photosensitive drum 107, a charging roller (not shown), and a cleaning blade (not shown); a developing frame member (not shown) integrally supporting a developing roller (not shown) and a developing blade (not shown); and a developer-accommodating frame member (hereinafter, referred to as a“toner frame member”) 111 accommodating toner therein. The process cartridge is further constructed of side covers 190 and 191 covering a drive gear line (not shown) and so on, on the side surfaces of both or either of the developing frame member and(or) the toner frame member. It is noted that reference numerals 136 and 138 represent a drum flange and a drum bearing, respectively.
Means of fixing frame members and components, which is generally used includes fastening with screws (bonding in portions X and an area d in FIGS. 23 and 24) and thermal caulking, in addition to resin bonding (fixation by injection of a molten resin), hot-melts, ultrasonic welding (see e.g., JP 10-20744 A).
Such a process cartridge is one using a developer to form an image on a recording medium. Therefore, a developer is consumed as images are formed. The process cartridge loses value in use at the time when a developer has been consumed until the image-forming apparatus could not form an image having a quality that satisfies a user of the image-forming apparatus.
The related art propose remanufacturing techniques (recycling techniques) for putting, into commercial production again, process cartridges whose developer has been consumed and which have lost value in use (see e.g., JP 2002-328579 A).
However, the related art presents problems described below. For putting used process cartridges into commercial production again, components and frame members that have been consumed or broken are required to be replaced. For replacing components and frame members, each component and frame member need to be separated from fixing means and bonding means. In the case of fixation and bonding with screws, components and frame members may easily be removed, refixed, and rebonded. However, easy removal, refixation, and rebonding can not be performed in a site where fixing means such as resin bonding or welding is used. Therefore, in order to replace components and frame members in such a site, a rebonding method has been used, in which a junction or its surroundings is(are) broken and a component or a frame member is replaced, followed by refixation and rebonding by applying an adhesive, a hot melt, or the like, once again. However, fixing means requiring such a rebonding method is less than sufficient from the viewpoint of material recycling and environment. For example, a bonding method employing materials such as adhesives and hot melts different from materials used in frame members (styrene-based resin compositions including HIPS and other resin compositions) often causes a reduction in quality, such as a reduction in the mechanical properties and flame resistance of the frame members and components as recycled materials (materials to be remanufactured). Moreover, a bonding method employing a base material for adhesion having a thickness such as a hot melt is less than sufficient in terms of positioning accuracy and bonding strength among components.
By the way, terpene compounds have been known to be main ingredients of essential oils obtained by the steam distillation of mainly plants and to be generally used as flavors.
On the other hand, the uses of the terpene compounds other than the foregoing have also been known. For example, d-limonene, which is monoterpene, has a molecular structure greatly similar to that of styrene and a property of dissolving polystyrene even at normal temperature, and as such has been used as a constrictor for styrofoams (see e.g., JP 05-263065 A).